After years of stalled leadership and broken promises in Washington, Representative Zach Nunn is taking matters into his own hands. On Tuesday, Nunn signed a discharge petition to force a House vote on the Restore Trust in Congress Act, a bipartisan effort to ban Members of Congress — and their spouses and dependent children — from owning or trading individual stocks.
For Nunn, the move is the culmination of a long-running effort to end what many Americans see as one of the most blatant double standards in federal government.
“I’ve never held stocks while serving in Congress, and I’ve been clear since day one — this place is supposed to work for the American people, not help Members get rich,” Nunn said. “Leadership has punted on this issue for more than a decade. We’re done waiting.”
The push comes as public frustration with congressional self-dealing continues to rise. A 2023 University of Maryland national survey found that a staggering 86% of Americans support a stock-trading ban for Members of Congress — one of the most bipartisan issues in the country.
Nunn says he hears the same demand across Iowa.
“Iowans are tired of the double standards in Washington,” Nunn said. “This is one of the most bipartisan issues I hear about back home.”
Unlike many in Congress who resist reforms while continuing to trade stocks, Nunn has taken a different path:
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In the Iowa Legislature, he pledged not to trade stocks that posed conflicts of interest.
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After being elected to Congress, he sold all individual stock holdings.
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He has made passing a comprehensive ban one of his top priorities since day one.
Nunn’s early legislation includes the Prohibit Insider Trading Act (2023), banning Members and their spouses from owning or trading individual stocks and the No Corruption in Government Act (2025), which also ended automatic pay raises and tripled the lobbying ban for former Members.
Despite the broad support from the public — and from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — congressional leadership has refused to bring the issue to the floor. The Restore Trust in Congress Act, introduced in September 2025 by a bipartisan coalition including Nunn, is designed to finally break the logjam by combining multiple reform proposals into one enforceable ban.
The discharge petition Nunn signed requires 218 signatures to override leadership and force an immediate vote.
For conservatives, the issue underscores how deeply the Washington establishment has resisted meaningful accountability. Nunn’s push puts both parties on notice: Members can either stand with the American people or defend a system that allows lawmakers to profit off their positions.
With overwhelming bipartisan support from voters and growing frustration toward congressional ethics scandals, the vote — if forced — could become one of the most consequential tests of political integrity in years.
As Nunn put it: “This place is supposed to serve the people — not itself.”
